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Business Plan: First

Let's just say I am not the only one that is not exactly thrilled about writing a business plan but we all need to.

A business plan's purpose is to put in writing every aspect of what your business is and does, how it will conduct business, where it will conduct business, how much money is needed, how much money will be made, and basically, how in God's name are you going to combine it all on a daily basis to make your business a success.

It does not matter how miniscule a product you are producing, a business plan is needed. Most of us just think that it is a ploy engineered by all of these business plan companies to make money off of frustrated business startups but guess what? There are a few ways to get it done your self.

Where there is information on exactly how, there is where you should be. First, there are business plan software programs, I am using Smart Business and Marketing Plan 8.0 which I purchased off of eBay for about $10. While it is a step by step explanatory program, you still need to know every little detail so that you can fill in those horrifying blanks. There is also Business Plan Pro for about $100 at large software carriers but I advise: Shop Around...Google it, see what you find.

Then there is a huge amount of free info on sites like Entreprenuer.Com, StartUpNation.Com, SBA.gov and plenty more that will give you awesome information on all the components necessary to produce a business plan. I have been a chronic peruser of these sites for years and only purchased Smart Biz Plan because I wanted a template on the computer....lazy, maybe but I am half way done with my plan and this is a first in about 8 years. I needed a little more, maybe you don't.

However, please get the biz plan together. Do it piece by piece....then add the pieces together. Just start, because it HAS to get done. Or call me, I'll do it....small fee...I promise.

More Money, More Problems?

I was watching Drew Barrymore on ETHS, and they documented her life in the limelight and though some of it wasn't the greatest moments in Barrymore history, the show ended with her saying, " I love my life." Now it could possibly be the fact that she is a millionaire, probably 10 to 20 times over (I don't know the figure), but it makes no difference because one way or another, she can say that she loves her life. Then, I thought about it and realized that I have NEVER felt that way at any point in life, it saddens me some and motivated me more.

For these people who can say that they love life. What are the magical ingredients? Money seems to be a major factor. I hate when people say that money can't buy you happiness which probably was either said by someone who had mounds of money or none at all. And of course I don't believe that money can buy happiness, but as I walk into my over-priced apartment on the 15th of the month and the rent is not yet paid, the energy bill is just becoming an insurmountable disaster and the only messages I get are from bill collectors, I can only dream of getting everything up to date and maintaining them just as well.. I am sure that I would be much more happier. But that's just me. Then besides the rewards, one of the magical ingredients has to be doing something you actually love. What can tickle the heck out of you more than waking up anxious to go to work? You do what you love to do anyway, oh and there's a check in the mail as well. This is what I call striking gold. The treasure at the end of the rainbow.

Loving what you do it more than just some minor detail. You have to consider everything else that life throws at you. On top of making a living, there is death of a loved one, bad relationships, an uncooperative body, sick children and all that nonsense, and I would like to not be unhappy when all of this stuff surfaces. I would like to be stable in what I do so that when I need to take time to mend, heal or grieve, I can. My personal life will always be more important.

So that is my goal, to one day say, " I love my life." I think that the starting a business would enrich so many parts of my life. Being that running a business requires patience, tenacity, strength and a set of big cahones, it can help build the person that I want to be, undoubtedly.

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Feeling Half Empty

When I started thinking about starting a business, I thought that I would naturally just have the energy each and every day. I thought that I would always believe in my product with no question. I can't be the only one that has those days where they start to doubt themselves and their products, especially poverty level individuals such as myself.

Nobody's going to believe in my work unless I believe in it.. And in order for me to believe in my projects, I have to believe in myself. Easy to say. This is not to suggest that I don't believe in myself, I am just a naturally pessimistic person. Nothing ever goes right for me until I look at my children and realize that the latter statement is just fear of success.

I only see success on TV which is sad. That means that of all of my family and friends, each and every individual is as unhappy with living as I am but they are not ready to die because they need more time. But most still waste valuable time. I think that although success is boasted and bragged about, most people fear it for one very important reason:With great success brings great responsibility. It is far more simpler to be responsible for nothing, and lots of people like simplicity. I am different, though. I crave more responsibility especially for my lifestyle and career, collectively as a working unit So, I am going to refresh my jolly juice and press on. You should too. :-)

Our Fight: Breast Cancer

Well, I have never second guessed what organization for illness I would support. My grandmother died of breast cancer in 1998. She was only 52 at the time. I miss her. That is why I my company will be a continued gift giver to breast cancer organizations. Ellay West Concepts (the name of my company) will donate a portion of the profits yearly. Even if it is only $10. What ever I can do, I will do. I think all companies should have a cause such as education, illnessess or to private organizations for the homeless. You know, like the adopt highway programs, businesses should adopt a humane cause. Some do but there are alot who don't. Just a thought!!!

StartUpNation.Com

I love this site. It is basically an online community for entrepreneurs and business owners. This site was set up by the Sloan brothers (Rich and Jeff) who also mentors through StartUp Nation radio. There are articles on every facet of starting, running, and growing a business. When you log on, you can create an entrepreneur profile and then take part in the community discussions. There is of course a e-newsletter you can subscribe to which almost always leads me to the site immediately as soon as I see the topics being featured that week. Start-Up nation is a great place to meet people that can give valuable advice because there are all types of business owners that are on all types of levels as far as business goes. Go, check it out and tell them that I sent you :-)

Practice Relaxing

It pains me to do so at times but sometimes I need to walk away from the computer. There is no other reason except, the cramps in my fingers, the persistent neck and back pain and the pressure on my eyelids. You would think that I would just get up, stretch, get something to drink, and maybe use the bathroom. Trust me, I won't until my neck is twisted into a pretzel and my bladder is a ticking time bomb. So my advice is to learn how to take breaks. A break does not make you a slacker, it actually helps in your productivity. The glare of the computer screen sometimes seems as if it is erasing brain cells because everything that I need is literally one click away but just that quick, I forget and then I stare for awhile. But, I remember while I am sipping my cold glass of lemonade.

Good Credit, Good Equipment

Today I did some more research on getting the necessary items to make a marketable, useful product. I ran across a notion I was fancying before: binding. I figure getting my literature produced by printing companies was out of the question. It is not doable for me at this point. I believe in its success so I will just say eventually. I looked up binding machines and they cost a grip ( that's more than $500 in my poor world), like I said, eventually. So I put that in the back of my head with all my other delusions of grandeur and said, "Maybe,someday."

I could possibly rent one but things that you can rent are usually things that require a good credit rating. That is something that I don't have. I surely didn't plan to totally screw up my credit. It was being a careless college student and more importantly not knowing the importance of having good credit. Of course student loans make up the majority. This pisses me off because I still don't have a degree but I am still obligated to pay off the loans. Bush should do something about that(I'm not holding my breath).

Although everyone pressures me to clean it up as opposed to filing bankruptcy, I don't have that option. Everything on my credit report maybe adds up to $20,000, I couldn't pay all of this within 3-7 years, so why not file bankruptcy. These is only about $2000 in credit cards, two are department store cards, and the debt is very very very old. I get frustrated with these "Lower Your Credit" agencies because they only talk about current interest rates and charges . I need to know what I could do with very old (less than 7 years..wink, wink) charges. I guess I have a few options: bankruptcy, paying everything off (laugh!!), waiting until everything gets charged off or some other solution that some nice person might know about (you, maybe?).

I'll be back tomorrow.
Good Night.

The Beginning, The Ink

Yesterday I wanted to make my first entry but the site was down when I was up. Anyway, these entries on this particular blog will be sort of the ins and outs of how I am starting my business. I don't have anon-going business (never have), I have no money to start it with,(I am basically spending the left over change from my checks...for instance, if I make 475.00 that week, I keep $15.00 for the business...and the rest becomes money orders to pay bills) and I have no help with my business endeavors, I wear all of the hats.

So I am lauching an adult literature business after many years and months of procrastination, hesitation and hibernation. I am a writer but it is very hard to get writing work with out having a degree. I am literally one paycheck away from being on the street, very deep in default on student loans and school is not an option. I would wish that I could find help paying off loans and just going back, not having to worry about the rent but I have never waited for a hand-out and I probably still won't. So, moving on.

Yesterday, since I have had a marketing/business plan saved on my hard drive for awhile, I re-opened and figured out ways to tweak and add vital information. Then I decided that I needed to figure out how the final product would look. The features and tha packaging. I priced ink which is highway robbery at well-known office supply companies, but if you just Google your ink cartridge model# (cartridge #, I dunno) But Google it and you will find a gang of online retailers selling ink for more than $10 bucks less than the original price. Ink for my HP costs $20 and well its $10 at emerald. (www.EmeraldRecycling.Com). There may be other places, this is just where I bought it from. And free shipping!

Okay, I am not at all cheap. Even the most expensive, exclusive companies welcome and accept discounts and of course the best possible low price for everything from jewelry to yachts without sacrificing their classy reputation. Who pays full price for anything anyway? Sometimes I have to but when I don't, I won't.

I priced paper and those report covers. And as I am comparing and pricing and comparing some more, I know at some point I will have to decide the cost of producing each peice of literature, but that's another day, another post. Right now, I am still bargain hunting.

I know that it is going to be difficult but the best thing about being a poor little girl is that you know how it feels. So if in my journey, I fall back towards the welfare line, thre is no way that I would be distraught. I already know the drill. I've been broke. I've eaten cereal with water and pretended that it was milk, I have felt less than perfect because I have always thought that my life wasn't as perfect as other people, so... I am made of some outstanding material because I aint broken yet!!!!